Building Wellness Together: Strengthening Ourselves and Our Organizations
In mission-driven work, conversations about wellness often center on self-care: the individual acts we take to rest, reset, and recover. For many nonprofit leaders and staff, the pace and pressure of the work can make even those small acts feel out of reach. The truth is, individual wellness can’t be sustained in isolation. In a sector where people need to do more with less, resilience comes from how we show up for one another — within teams, across organizations, and throughout our communities.
CVNC Executive Director Jaye Stapleton moderating the panel “Resilient and Successful Nonprofits” featuring Dion Dawson, Matt DeMateo, Nubia Willman, and Carlos Nelson. The panel was part of the “Adjusting Together: Chicago’s Nonprofits and Funders Respond to a New Era” workshop sponsored by William Everett.
Collective Wellness Starts Within
These ideas were at the heart of CVNC’s recent “Adjusting Together” Resiliency Workshop, where panelists Dion Dawson, Matt DeMateo, Nubia Willman, and Carlos Nelson shared reflections on honesty, joy, creativity, and innovation as cornerstones of organizational wellness. Moderated by CVNC Executive Director Jaye Stapleton, the discussion highlighted that wellness is not an individual luxury but a collective commitment.
In a time when many nonprofits are navigating shrinking budgets, increased demand, and staff burnout, conversations about rest and wellness can feel out of reach. Yet these are precisely the moments when collective care matters most. Collective wellness begins inside our organizations. It’s built in the small, daily choices that define how teams communicate, share responsibility, and hold space for reflection. A resilient organization is one that’s honest about its capacity and limits, stays grounded in its values, and still finds room for joy. Building connection, celebration, and laughter into our routines doesn’t erase the challenges, but it helps sustain the people who carry the work forward.
Expanding Wellness Through Collaboration
Collective wellness also extends beyond organizational walls. It’s about thinking creatively and stretching beyond comfort zones to build bridges — forming partnerships that strengthen networks of support and reduce the burden on any single team. Financial wellness plays a part too: diversifying funding can foster innovation, flexibility, and long-term stability.
Individual Wellness Still Matters
Even as we focus on collective approaches, individual wellness remains essential. Recognizing burnout, setting boundaries, and building supportive relationships are acts of care that sustain both people and missions. Sometimes, it’s as simple as finding an outlet — a trusted colleague, creative hobby, or quiet moment to recharge. When individuals are supported, entire organizations thrive.
A Commitment to Wellness
Wellness, whether individual or collective, isn’t a one-time effort — it’s a shared commitment. As we look ahead, we invite our network to reflect:
What would it look like to make a commitment — to yourself, your team, and your organization — to prioritize wellness in your work?
Through our capacity-building programs and partnerships, CVNC continues helping organizations turn that commitment into practice.
